<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<meta charset="UTF-8">
<title>look around (you're in love) by jules8178</title>
<style type="text/css">

body { background-color: #ffffff; }
.CI {
text-align:center;
margin-top:0px;
margin-bottom:0px;
padding:0px;
}
.center   {text-align: center;}
.cover    {text-align: center;}
.full     {width: 100%; }
.quarter  {width: 25%; }
.smcap    {font-variant: small-caps;}
.u        {text-decoration: underline;}
.bold     {font-weight: bold;}
</style>
</head>
<body>
<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/25057087">look around (you're in love)</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/jules8178/pseuds/jules8178'>jules8178</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Women's Soccer RPF</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Bagel and Fergy, Domestic, F/F, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Getting tattoos together, Idiots in Love, Puppy Playdate</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-07-03</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-07-03</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-04 00:46:55</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>2,845</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/25057087</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/jules8178/pseuds/jules8178</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>After nearly a year goes by without being able to see each other in person, Lindsey and Emily reunite in Atlanta in February of 2021. After spending so long apart, these two oblivious idiots finally find it in them to make a move and admit their feelings for each other.<br/>.</p><p>“Hi, Linds,” Emily breathed out before closing the distance between them to hug Lindsey tight.<br/>Finally pulling away after a good thirty seconds, Lindsey took a half step back to look directly into Emily’s eyes, and, with all the courage that she had developed over the last hour, asked Emily, “Can I kiss you?”<br/>Emily’s eyes widened in shock before realizing that Lindsey meant this, that she wanted this too, and nodded with a soft smile, too speechless to answer Lindsey’s question with any words.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Lindsey Horan/Emily Sonnett</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>56</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>look around (you're in love)</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>2020 had not gone Lindsey and Emily’s way. The trade-that-shall-not-be-named made for a rough start to the year, but the pair had come to terms with that change after spending so much time with the national team in January and February. After all, even on different club teams, they’d still get to see each other at the SheBelieves Cup, at friendlies against Australia and Brazil in April, in Portland on May 6, in Orlando on July 5, and Lindsey knew they’d be together for all of Tokyo. </p><p>But then, all those plans fell apart and the games in March ended up being the end of life as the two blondes knew it. And really, how could they? No one expects a global pandemic to shut down nearly everything enjoyable in life, especially not two professional soccer players who often got caught up in the whirlwind that was their lives. Lindsey isn’t complaining, really- she knows that so many people were affected so much more than she was, but she still didn’t expect the extended feelings of loneliness that she already expected to feel with so many of her former Thorns friends now playing so far away. Soon, Fergy was adopted, filling that hole in her heart with energetic runs down the hallway, plenty of grunts and whines as he worked to get his way, and endless couch naps as Lindsey soon started training to get back with the Thorns and play in the Challenge Cup, looking forward to seeing Emily in Utah.</p><p>But since what can go wrong will go wrong, especially in 2020 where it seems some higher being cursed Lindsey for a reason she can’t figure out, those hopes were dashed as well as the Pride were forced to drop out of the tournament at the last minute. Lindsey was heartbroken for Emily and her other friends in Orlando, especially Syd, but she couldn’t even spend much time being upset as the Thorns needed her leadership and dedication as they made their final preparations before flying out. </p><p>The tournament didn’t go the Thorns’ way- Lindsey still felt like she could’ve done more, could’ve gotten more headers on frame, cut off more through passes, but that’s how Lindsey always was, even when the Thorns were winning. Now, most everyone could see that the Thorns roster just wasn’t as strong as it was in past, more successful years, and that one star player just wasn’t enough to carry a team to a winning record. Facetime calls and late-night Mario Kart with Emily made the time stuck in the hotel go by a little faster, but it still wasn’t what Lindsey had hoped for when she had thought of getting to play soccer again. And, maybe part of it was that for Lindsey, with soccer came Emily, and having one without the other just didn’t feel complete.</p><p>Post-Challenge Cup, life and the on-going pandemic continued to get in the way of Lindsey and Emily’s hopes for visiting each other, and soon it was winter and the two blondes hadn’t seen each other in person since March. With the holiday season approaching, they knew a visit was unlikely to come in December or January, but made plans for one in early February. A couple discussions later and Lindsey had booked a flight to Atlanta for her and Fergy on the morning of Friday, February 12.</p><p>With all the busyness of Christmas and New Year’s and the rare opportunity for both women to be home with their families for an extended time, the last couple months apart went by quickly. Soon enough, Lindsey’s parents dropped her and Fergy off at the Denver airport and Lindsey was on her way to be reunited with her best friend. </p><p>Emily had wanted to meet Lindsey at the airport, but she had accidentally scheduled Bagel’s yearly checkup with the Sonnett family’s vet in Marietta on the same afternoon Lindsey was arriving. With the vet’s next available appointment about a month later, Lindsey reassured Emily that she would be fine on her own and convinced her to keep the planned appointment. After all, it wasn’t Lindsey’s first rodeo, nor her first trip to visit Emily in Atlanta. </p><p>Lindsey arrived at the airport shortly before one p.m. and found herself throwing her bags in the back of the uber and climbing into the backseat, Fergy’s crate in hand, about twenty minutes later. A brief drive spent scrolling through Instagram found Lindsey soon arriving at Emily’s downtown apartment, Lindsey thanking her driver before heading into the building. Lindsey lets herself into the apartment using her spare key, knowing Emily won’t be home for another hour or so, not with the vet likely running late and Emily having to drive back into the city from Marietta. </p><p>To some, Lindsey having the spare key to Emily’s apartment may seem odd or confusing. After all, they live across the country now, so why is it necessary? But, they’d always held onto each other’s keys while in Portland, and breaking that tradition just doesn’t feel right to either woman. </p><p>Entering the apartment, Lindsey let Fergy out of his crate and placed her bags in the living room, not quite sure where she’d be sleeping in the one bedroom apartment. With the time to spare before Emily gets back, Lindsey made herself busy and tried to lighten Emily’s chore load, wanting to say thank you for letting her stay in her place and silently show how much she cares about the smaller blonde. She gets to work, starting by washing the dishes in Emily’s sink, then folded and put away the blankets tossed around the living room before folding the clean laundry that had been living in a basket on the top of the dryer. Lastly, she headed into Emily’s bedroom, planning to toss her clearly dirty clothes in the closet hamper and make her queen bed. </p><p>While tidying up Emily’s bedroom, Lindsey can’t help but feel a little invasive. She knew she would’ve been here anyway at some point during this trip, but it felt different when it’s just her there. Well, her and Fergy, nipping at her ankles, whining as he begged to be held. Finishing making the bed, she picks her puppy up before really looking around the room for the first time. </p><p>Looking now, she can tell it’s much more lived in than the last time she was here. Leafy plants and a tall cactus placed on the windowsill, her World Cup gold medal and 2017 Thorns championship ring resting in cases on the top of her dresser, pictures of friends and family surrounding the hexagon shaped mirror hanging above her bookshelf filled with recent reads. Taking in the pictures, Lindsey could see there were ones of Emily’s family and her from France, photos from one of her more recent trips back to Charlottesville to visit her former teammates, some of her and various Aussies, both former Thorns and Pride players, an old one of her, Kelley, and Moe, and quite a few pictures of their group of national team friends, the Kids. </p><p>But then there’s pictures with Lindsey. And the sight of these really took Lindsey’s breath away. Not because she was surprised to see her face there, but because she didn’t expect to see it so many times, and in so many photos where only herself and Emily were pictured, unlike the group photos that mostly surrounded the mirror. </p><p>And these ones, they gave off a different feeling than the others. They felt more intimate, more loving. Photos like Lindsey staring into Emily’s eyes after the Tournament of Nations in 2018, and Emily staring right back at her in their pictures after the World Cup in 2019, and many more which never left the safety of each other’s camera rolls. </p><p>Lindsey had to take a step back then, because she could see in her eyes a look she’d never given anyone in the world. Not her other best friends over the years like Cari or her friend Katie from home, nor romantic interests she once thought she’d spend forever with. This was a look of being fully and completely in love. This realization was starting to cause a rising panic within Lindsey, but this panic was held at bay by the sudden recognition that Emily had the same look in her eyes. As scary as her feelings were, Lindsey was calmed by the knowledge that Emily was feeling the same thing she was, whatever it happened to be. And with that, Lindsey knew what she was going to do when Emily returned home, even though it was a move she’d been afraid of making for literal years.</p><p>With still about twenty minutes until Emily’s return, Emily having texted Lindsey to let her know she was on her way back, Lindsey busied herself with prepping the two of them some avocado toast, not wanting to get lost in the onslaught of thoughts buzzing around in her head and feeling hungry after not having had more than some trail mix and sour gummy worms on the plane. She also knew Emily had most likely not eaten since making breakfast before Bagel’s morning walk. Lindsey pulled out a pan, turned on her favorite burner, and started making a couple fried eggs. Smiling to herself as she cracked the eggs onto the pan, she thought of how Emily still teases her for her inability to make poached eggs like her. (Secretly though, Emily loves the fried eggs. They’re not so different from the poached and they remind her of Lindsey. She even sometimes makes fried eggs for her own avocado toast on days she’s missing her best friend a little bit more.)</p><p>Lindsey found herself plenty distracted by her cooking, the time left until Emily arrived home passing quickly. Soon, Emily flew open the door, Lindsey jumping a little at the sudden sight and sound of Bagel skittering across the hardwood floors of the apartment, running around and sniffing the place like she’d never been there before. Regaining her composure, Lindsey finished what she was working on, plating the two white plates with their avocado toast and spending time making the presentation look nice so Emily could have a chance to set her and Bagel’s things down in their spots. Satisfied with her plating, Lindsey headed over to the entrance to greet Emily in the person for the first time in so long.</p><p>Seeing Lindsey in the flesh for the first time in what seemed like forever made Emily instinctively smile, immediately letting go of all the tension that came with driving home in Atlanta traffic.<br/>
“Hi, Linds,” Emily breathed out before closing the distance between them to hug Lindsey tight.<br/>
Finally pulling away after a good thirty seconds, Lindsey took a half step back to look directly into Emily’s eyes, and, with all the courage that she had developed over the last hour, asked Emily, “Can I kiss you?”<br/>
Emily’s eyes widened in shock before realizing that Lindsey meant this, that she wanted this too, and nodded with a soft smile, too speechless to answer Lindsey’s question with any words. </p><p>Lindsey then pulled Emily in by the waist, pulling her close before finally kissing her soft lips, lips that were somehow never dry despite her never using chapstick, which Lindsey was insanely jealous of on most days. Now, though, her mind was elsewhere, zeroed in on the elation she felt from finally kissing her best friend and the way the shorter girls’ body felt against her, like it was a missing piece that was always meant to fit right there. </p><p>The pair separated for a moment and just stared into each others’ eyes, Lindsey seeing that same look in Emily that she saw in the pictures on her bedroom wall, sure her eyes mirrored the look in Emily’s, before coming back together, this time more intensely. Lindsey's hand creeping under Emily’s shirt to rest on the girl’s lower back, her warm hand pulling the colder skin in closer to her before finding Emily’s lips again. This time, she began to lick at Emily’s bottom lip, Emily noticing and instinctively opening her mouth to let Lindsey in, Lindsey’s tongue beginning to explore Emily's mouth and Emily placing her hand in Lindsey’s long blonde hair in response to the sensation. After a couple minutes of making out and getting to know each other in a way they’d held off from for so long, Emily bit Lindsey’s lower lip before pulling back, still secure in Lindsey’s grip but needing to catch her breath. </p><p>“Why did you wait so long to do that again?” Emily breathed out, still surrounded by Lindsey’s arms and intense presence.<br/>
“Why did you?” Lindsey responded with a soft, happy smile, not sure how to explain what prompted her to make a move without also spilling her guts in a way that felt too soon for whatever stage they were in.<br/>
“I thought you were straight,” Emily said, chuckling softly while releasing herself from Lindsey’s grip somewhat reluctantly, not wanting this moment in Lindsey’s arms to start to feel awkward.<br/>
“So did I,” Lindsey responded truthfully, knowing now that her former label meant nothing when it came to her actual feelings.</p><p>Emily just smiled back, too overwhelmed by the simultaneous shock and joy to think of a proper response. </p><p>“Oh, I almost forgot! I made avo toast!” Lindsey exclaimed, quickly turning around to head back into the kitchen and grab their plates, now glad she remembered to take the pan off the burner.<br/>
“God, you’re the best, I’m starving!”<br/>
“I knew you would be,” Lindsey replied cockily but with a smile on her face and caring sparkle in her eyes.</p><p> </p><p>The two blondes proceeded to eat their lunch on Emily’s couch, wanting to still be near each other in a way the island counter just couldn’t offer. Sharing one large blanket, they ate in mostly silence, sneaking looks at each other and smiling to themselves in admiration when they thought the other one wasn’t looking. </p><p>Once finished, they headed back to place their dishes in the sink, Emily then realizing the pile of dishes that she had left on the right side were nowhere to be found. It then dawned on her that her apartment looked cleaner than she left it that morning, now putting together the fact that Lindsey was the cause of said cleanliness.</p><p>“Linds, you didn’t have to do that,” Emily said softly, hoping the gratefulness she felt came through in her voice.<br/>
“I know I didn’t, but I wanted to,” Lindsey responded, not wanting Emily to feel any guilt for the cleaning Lindsey chose to do.<br/>
“Thank you,” Emily said in response before giving Lindsey a brief hug, knowing that this was just the sort of thing Lindsey did and there was no stopping it from happening.</p><p>Ready to relax after a long morning and afternoon, the pair grabbed Bagel and Fergy from where they ended up, Fergy still in Emily’s bedroom, playing with a toy of Bagel’s that he had found under the dresser, and Bagel resting in her spot across from the couch, under the TV. Pups in hand, they headed back to their spot on the couch, the two humans settling in as the dogs sniffed each other for a few minutes before hopping on as well, laying by the side of their respective moms. </p><p>Emily turned on a John Mulaney special on Netflix, one of their favorites and a go-to when they wanted to watch something funny but not have to pay much attention, before setting the remote down and snuggling into Lindsey’s side, arm wrapped around her stomach and head finding its place between her shoulder and breast. Normally Emily would wait to show this much affection, waiting until midway through their chosen movie to get tired and use that as an excuse for the close contact. But today, Emily missed her too much to hold back from showing this affection, cuddles on the couch being one of their favorite Portland pastimes. And hey, they had just kissed no more than a half hour ago, so she figured a little cuddling was fair game now. </p><p>Responding to Emily’s movements, Lindsey wrapped her arm around Emily’s back, her hand resting in the space between her lower back and bottom and gradually making her way under the hoodie covering Emily’s torso, thumb lightly stroking the bare skin. These light movements combined with the comfort of watching a special she’d seen about a thousand times and the warmth and safety that came from being by the taller blonde’s side meant that Emily was soon fast asleep. Lindsey, watching Emily fight her tiredness at first before relaxing into dreamland, made no attempt to watch the TV, her eyes focused on the soft, beautiful girl laying next to her. With Emily sound asleep and the pups napping next to the pair, it didn’t take long for Lindsey to succumb to the darkness herself, feeling happier than she had in a long time.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I hope you enjoyed! I wrote this last night and this morning after being fueled by Sonny's post last night and Lindsey's story (wow), and writing it made me feel both extremely happy and incredibly lonely lol. I plan to add more to it, covering Lindsey's whole visit to ATL, including a play date between Bagel and Fergy, getting a new tattoo together that is shared between just them, a lot of staying in and domesticity, and a little bit of smut if I can write it without it being awful.<br/>Please let me know what you think and if there's anything in particular you'd like to see! &lt;3</p></blockquote></div></div>
</body>
</html>